In this image posted on June 5, 2026, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during the inauguration ceremony of a national-level workshop on seafood exports in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
| Photo Credit:
via PTI Photo
V Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday called for increasing seafood exports to USD 30 billion over the next five years, from the current USD 8.5 billion.He also pitched for focusing on quality and manufacturing of value-added products to fetch good prices in international markets.“Let’s target USD 30 billion in the next five years,” he said here at the national workshop on seafood exports.The minister suggested that the target can be achieved by focusing on increasing production and quality.India has finalised nine free trade agreements with developed nations in the last three and a half years, and it will provide greater market access for the sector, Goyal added.“Take India’s fish across the world. Reduce import of raw shrimp and export value-added goods and build brands,” he noted.He added that India’s fisheries exports grew 70 per cent from USD 5 billion in 2013-14 to USD 8.5 billion last fiscal, while global trade in the fisheries sector grew from USD 150 billion to USD 164 billion during the same period.Global trade challenges and government supportWhen asked about high shipping freight impacting traders, Goyal said that it is a demand and supply situation and regulating these prices will cause more pain and become costlier.There are global trade factors that affect these prices, he added.On the impact of the West Asia crisis, he told reporters that when the world is witnessing high diesel prices, India has maintained very low hikes in rates.“Our inflation is amongst the lowest in the world...In many countries today, diesel and petrol have become a crisis of availability, not one day...in India, we had no line or any shortages or any people suffering,” Goyal said, adding “it is the astute management of our energy needs”.It is diversified sources of energy that India has generated over the last couple of years and the central government has absorbed a lot of the losses that the oil companies or the fertiliser companies are facing to keep the burden on the common man and businesses low, he said.The minister said that fertiliser prices today are 10 times the price at which they are made available to the farmers.“Against Rs 3,000, they are available to the farmers at Rs 300 and the central government is spending over Rs 2 lakh crore as a subsidy to bridge the gap between the international price and the price to the farmers,” he said.Fisheries sector seeks greater global shareSpeaking at the event, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said there is a need to raise India’s share in global fisheries exports.He said that efforts are underway to increase value addition in fisheries exports to maximise gains for exporters and small fishermen.Singh also called for the creation of infrastructure to promote exports from inland states, whose share is less.Despite high tariffs (55.8 per cent) by the US, India’s exporters ensured a rise in exports to the EU, Japan, China and Southeast Asia to offset any losses, he added.He also hinted that the National Fisheries Board will soon set up a regional office in Andhra Pradesh, the largest producer of fish and seafood exporter in India, with an aquaculture production of 55.39 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, and holds a 66 per cent share in shrimp exports.Record exports and logistics pushIndia’s marine product exports reached a record Rs 73,890.46 crore (USD 8.45 billion) in 2025-26, with export volumes of 19.72 lakh metric tonnes, while the sector has set a target of achieving Rs 1 lakh crore in exports.The US and China continued to be the principal destinations for Indian seafood exports, while frozen shrimp retained its position as the flagship product.Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said the government is looking to double the number of airports to over 350.He added that there are plans to add more cargo airports in the country.Naidu said that in line with One District One Product, the ministry is looking at developing one airport, one product. He also suggested reducing processing time for export consignments at cargo terminals.Published on June 6, 2026
